The present invention relates to an airbag arrangement, especially a side airbag arrangement, in a vehicle seat, especially in a backrest of a vehicle seat.
An airbag arrangement in a vehicle seat is generally formed by an airbag module that is provided with an airbag housing that is secured to a frame part or a structural part of a vehicle seat, and that has an airbag and a charge. Generally, the airbag module is disposed below the covering of the vehicle seat, whereby the covering generally has an opening line, for example a tear seam, that tears open upon ignition of the airbag and frees space for the unfolding airbag.
DE 10 2005 057 437 A1 discloses a side airbag system in a vehicle seat where a reinforcing panel is provided as a guide device for deflecting the unfolding airbag. A rim of the reinforcing panel is secured to either the screws of an inflation member or to the seat frame, while its opposite edge is fixedly stitched to a border on one side of a tear seam. In this connection, the reinforcing panel, as a flat layer, extends from the fastening screws, along the housing of the airbag module, and between a foam body and the covering to the tear seam.
The reinforcing panel is thus to be formed with suitable holes through which are placed the fastening screws for the securement of the airbag module to the rest frame. Consequently, it is already necessary for the reinforcing panel to have a more complex configuration that is respectively model-specific for the pertaining vehicle seat and the airbag. Furthermore, the mounting requires a securement of the panel that is stitched to the covering between the frame and the airbag module, for which purpose the panel is mounted prior to mounting of the airbag module.
Such a mounting is therefore relatively complex; generally, the airbag module is first accommodated in the covering, in or on which the reinforcing panel is also secured, so that the airbag module, together with the reinforcing panel, can be screwed to the frame part. However, with some types of seats, for example rear seats or seats in a rear row of seats, which are provided on their backside with, for example, a plate or some other functional surface for forming a functional luggage space, such a mounting is very difficult or even impossible to carry out, since here first the airbag module must be mounted to the frame, and subsequently the cover is to be applied without its subsequently being possible to have access from the back side.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an airbag arrangement, and a method for mounting the airbag arrangement or forming a vehicle seat, which enables a mounting with relatively little expenditure of effort.